Overview

Chlamydia - Symptom, Treatment And Causes

What is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a type of STD (sexually transmitted disease) and can affect both women and men. It usually causes permanent and serious damage to the reproductive organs of a women’s reproductive system. This can make it difficult and impossible for her to get pregnant later in life. In some cases, Chlamydia can also result to ectopic pregnancy. In such cases, pregnancy starts to occur and develop outside the womb).

How is it transmitted?

It can be spread by engaging in oral, anal or vaginal intercourse with a person already affected with Chlamydia. You are still at a risk of developing Chlamydia of our partner doesn’t ejaculate. Mothers who already have been diagnosed with Chlamydia can pass it on to their unborn child. This usually takes place when the infection is passed on to the baby during delivery. Chlamydia can cause pneumonia or eye infection in the baby. Having Chlamydia can also increase our risk of having a premature delivery.

Complications that can arise due to Chlamydia:

If Chlamydia isn’t treated on time, it can cause fatal health problems. For women, the infection can spread to the fallopian tubes (tubes carrying the eggs to the uterus from the ovaries) and the uterus, leading to PID (Pelvic inflammatory disease). Symptoms of PID include pelvic pain and abdominal pain. Pelvic inflammatory disease can lead to deadly ectopic pregnancy which can be fatal for your and your baby’s health, inability to be pregnant, pelvic pain which keeps occurring and irreversible damage is done to your reproductive system. Men are also affected by Chlamydia, the infection spreads to the tube which transfers the sperm from the scrotum. This causes fever and pain. Chlamydia doesn’t affect a man’s fertility.

How can you prevent yourself from getting affected with Chlamydia?

Using condoms while engaging in sexual coitus, preferably latex condoms.

Being in a monogamous and long term relationship with a single partner who has been tested negative for any form of STD.

Not engaging in oral, vaginal or anal sex with a person who you think might have Chlamydia.

Chlamydia can also cause bleeding, rectal pain and abnormal discharge from the genitals. Chlamydia can be cured if the right treatment is administered. If the medication prescribed by your doctor is taken on a regular basis, it can decrease your risk of developing complications later in life. The medications prescribed for Chlamydia shouldn’t be shared with anyone. It is vital to be tested again after consuming the medications at an interval of 3 months.

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The fallopian tubes are not mere passages for the egg to travel from the ovaries to the uterus. It is here that conception occurs and hence healthy fallopian tubes are essential for the fertilization of an egg.

Damaged fallopian tubes are the most common cause of infertility. This damage can fall under three categories:

Blocked fallopian tubes

One blocked and one open fallopian tube

Tubal scarring

The third is usually an effect of pelvic infections or natural healing after a pelvic surgery. Sadly, in most cases, this condition is discovered only after infertility has been diagnosed. Other causes of fallopian tubal scarring include:

Fallopian tubal scarring has no recognizable symptoms. Chronic pelvic pain is the only known symptom of this damage and that too can be seen only in severe cases of tubal scarring. On diagnosing infertility, your doctor will perform one of these tests to determine the condition of your fallopian tubes.

Hysterosalpingogram: This is a type of X-ray. Your doctor will open the vagina with a speculum and inject a liquid into the uterus with the help of a catheter. If the liquid does not pass through the fallopian tubes, it is said to be blocked. This however does not say much about tubal scarring.

Laparoscopy: A small incision is made below the belly button and a slim, flexible tube with a camera is passed through the incision. This gives your doctor a clear view of the condition of your fallopian tubes. A laparoscopy can also be used to rule out other causes of infertility such as endometriosis or blocked fallopian tubes.

Treatment for infertility caused by tubal scarring is of two types.

Surgery: This is suggested in cases where tubal scarring is minimal. Depending on the intensity and placement of scar tissue, your doctor may decide to perform one of many types of surgeries. She may choose to remove the scarred section of the fallopian tube, create a new opening (in case of blockages) or rebuild the damaged edges of the fallopian tubes.

In Vitro Fertilization(IVF): Women with badly scarred fallopian tubes usually have poor chances of conceiving naturally. Hence, IVF is the preferred treatment route. However, your doctor may still advise you to undergo surgery and remove the damaged tubes prior to IVF to prevent the tubes from filling with fluid.

In large number of cases of tubal scarring tubes would be open on tubal testing. However, it may not be working well or is functional. A lot of women with so called unexplained infertility may actually have tubal scarring or non functional tubes as the cause of Infertility. IVF is the best treatment option in such cases as it would bypass the work of the tubes completely. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an IVF Specialist.

While genital infections are an uneasy topic to discuss and seek treatment for, ignoring them leads to severe complications like infertility and even death. Most of these can be treated with a regular course of antibiotics and some topical treatment when identified early. Genital infections can be broadly classified into sexually transmitted and non-sexually transmitted. Read on to know some more common infections in both the categories.

Sexually transmitted diseases:

Chlamydia: Caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, it is the most common STD (sexually transmitted disease) and affects about 10% of 20 to 30 year olds. It is often asymptomatic, but in few cases, there could be increased vaginal discharge. Left undetected, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and subsequently infertility.

Gonorrhea: The bacteria Neisseria gonorrhea causes this STD, which is very common. There could be some irritation or discharge, but is mostly asymptomatic. Like Chlamydia, if not treated, it can lead to PID and infertility.

HIV: The most dangerous of all, it causes AIDS, with immunosuppression as a major effect and affecting overall health. The women affected by HIV are more prone to candida and other genital infections.

Genital warts: This viral infection is caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) and manifests as multiple warts on the vulva, vagina, and cervix and can cause cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (precancerous).

Genital herpes: This virus again causes multiple small vesicles and ulcers around the vagina, painful urination, and swelling of the lymph nodes. Caused by type 1 herpes virus more commonly than type 2, it has a high chance of recurrence.

Trichomonas: This STD manifests with very few symptoms and can go undetected for a long time. It can lead to PID and infertility.

Syphilis: Caused by Treponema pallidum, there are 3 stages. The primary stage presents with an ulcer. The secondary presents with a rash, multiple genital warts, and oral warts/ulcers. It then goes into a latent phase and may subside without progression. In some cases, it reaches the tertiary stage and can affect various body organs including the liver, heart, or brain.

Non-sexually transmitted diseases: There two major genital infections not transmitted by sex are bacterial vaginosis and candidiasis.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV): Constant change in the bacteria mix present in the genital area produces an imbalance and leads to altered pH and therefore BV. Pregnancy, intrauterine device, and frequent douching are proven risk factors for developing BV.

Candidiasis: The genital tract usually has yeasts, and Candida vaginalis is present in the vagina. An overgrowth of this leads to infection. This can be caused by use of antibiotics (which destroy the good bacteria), diabetes, pregnancy, and birth control pills.

Early diagnosis and intervention of these infections can prevent severe symptoms in most cases. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a gynaecologist.

Bacterial vaginosis is an infection that occurs in the vagina due to an imbalance in growth of the vaginal bacteria; It is the overgrowth in the naturally occurring bacteria in the vagina causes the imbalance. This disorder is very common among women, especially among pregnant women. This problem is usually not very serious and tends to subside within 4-5 days. However, in certain cases, they are capable of causing serious complications.

Causes
Vaginal bacteria can be either good or bad. Any disruption in the delicate balance of the vaginal bacteria can lead to bacterial vaginosis. There is no exact known cause of this disorder, but it is believed that having multiple sex partners can aggravate this risks. Other factors include:

Douching: If you clean your vagina with water and other cleansing agents on a regular basis, it might cause a bacterial imbalance, thus leading to this infection.

Multiple partners: Having multiple sex partners puts you at a higher risk of contracting bacterial vaginosis. This disorder may also lead to various complications such as:

STIs: This infection may make you highly susceptible to various infections such as Chlamydia, HIV and gonorrhoea.

Disorders of the pelvic region: Bacterial vaginosis may lead to inflammation in the pelvic region, which in turn may lead to infertility.

Disregarding genital tract infections and issues including the symptoms of the same can lead to problems when it comes to fertility. It may also cause problems in your sexual life. Genital problems can also lead to infertility. These days, infertility is a noteworthy and very important occurrence that plagues many couples.

Common Infections: A large portion of these genital tract diseases occurs because of infections. Salpingitis happens in close to 15% of ladies in their reproductive age and 2.5% of all ladies get to be infertile as an aftereffect of salpingitis by age 35. Many times, symptoms of conditions and STDs like Chlamydia trachomatis trachomatis are usually nonexistent. The real rate of ladies with upper genital tract infections is presumably underestimated.

Infection and Infertility: Infectious agents can hinder different vital human functions, including reproduction. Bacteria, fungi, infections and viruses can meddle with the reproductive capacity in both genders. Diseases of male genito-urinary tract represent around 15% of the instance of male infertility. Diseases can influence distinctive areas of the male regenerative tract, for example, the testis, epididymis and male sex organs and glands. Urogenital diseases at various levels of their advancement, development and transport can affect the sperms themselves in this manner. Among the most widely recognized microorganisms required for sexually transmitted diseases, meddling with male fertility are Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea.

Symptoms: If the following symptoms of a genital tract infection are ignored, it can definitely lead to the person being infertile in some stage of life or immediately. These are as follows:The signs and symptoms in males are

Changes in the way you discharge

Bleeding while urinating or discharge

Thick white, yellow or green release from the tip of the penis along with pain in urethra or pain while urinating

A hard but painless sore on the penis along with swelling of the lymph hubs in the crotch

Regular check-ups and visits to the gynecologist are very essential. One should always keep the partner updated about their sexual health problems to practice a healthy and honest relationship and to avoid further contagious infections from occurring.

If you are experiencing pain in urination along with a burning sensation, a health condition known as dysuria is indicated. This condition is usually common in women and men alike. However, older men are more prone to face this problem. Pain during urination may occur because of various reasons. The most common causes are as follows:Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common cause of painful urination. Infections may occur in any part of your urinary tract, such as in the kidneys, bladder, and the ureters. These infections occur due to bacteria, which gets into the urinary tract via the urethra. There are several factors, which increase your chances of being affected by UTI. They include diabetes, an enlarged prostate, old age, pregnancy, and kidney stones. UTI is signified by other symptoms such as fever, bloody urines, flank pain, stronger smelling urine, and an increased urge for urination.

At times, painful urination may also be associated with vaginal infections in women, like yeast infection. Vaginal discharge and foul odor are indicated in the case of vaginal infections.

Painful urination is also caused because of certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhea, genital herpes and Chlamydia.

Inflammation and irritation
There are several problems, which can cause inflammation of your urinary tract and genital region. This further results in painful urination. Inflammation and irritations also occur because of other factors such as urinary tract stones, vaginal changes associated with menopause, certain physical activities and the side effects of several medicines, treatment procedures and health supplements.

Consulting a doctor for painful urination
Your doctor will suggest you to undertake certain laboratory tests for the proper diagnosis of the cause of your painful urination. After this, a suitable treatment method is sought and undertaken. Before this, an overall physical examination is also carried out. Your doctor is likely to ask you some important questions regarding your painful irritation, how the condition worsens, and is felt during the onset of urination. It is also likely for your doctor to know about any other symptoms, which you might be experiencing such as fever, flank pain and vaginal discharge. You must tell your doctor about any changes observed in your urine flow, such as difficulty in initiating flow, an increased urge to urinate, and dribbling.

Apart from these, your doctor may also ask whether you experienced any character in urine after painful urination. These may include colour, amount, cloudiness, presence of pus in the urine and so on. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.

Until recently, testing patients for chlamydia and gonorrhea involved collecting samples from the cervix or urethra and sending them for cultures. An alternative to cervical or urethral cultures is nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) that can be performed on urine samples.

I m Dr Meera Sethi, I ll be telling you something very important topic which is the most common factor in women of all age group that is vaginal discharge.

Vaginal discharge serves an important housekeeping function in the female reproductive system. From where the fluid comes, where the discharge comes, the fluid is made by the glands inside the vagina and cervix, and this carries dead cells and bacteria. This keeps the vagina clean and helps to prevent infection. Most of the time, vaginal discharge is perfectly normal. Girls complain I am having the discharge, I am having the discharge, this discharge may be normal, this can vary in odour as well as hue, colour, depending on the time of your menstrual cycle. For example, there will be more discharge if you are ovulating, breastfeeding or sexually aroused. It will be different if you are pregnant or if you are not keeping your personal hygiene properly. However, the colour, smell, consistency seems significantly different and if it is associated with vaginal itching or burning, there can be some infection.

What causes abnormal discharge?

Any change in the vaginal balance of vaginal flora affects the smell, colour or consistency of the discharge. There are few things that can upset the balance like a fungal infection, bacterial vaginosis which is common in pregnancy or in women who have multiple sexual partners. Trichomoniasis, which is typically contracted after unprotected sex, pelvic inflammatory diseases, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhoea or Chlamydia, can be by the use of antibiotics. If the girl or woman is taking antibiotics for a throat infection, or urinary infection, she might have added symptoms of vaginal itching, because of the change in the vaginal flora, the fungal infection can be there. By use of douches, scented soaps, bubble bath, there can be an infection. During the menopausal period, vaginal atrophy leads to infection.

What are the types of abnormal discharges and their possible causes?

Cloudy or yellow discharges seen in gonorrhoea, frothy yellow or greenish discharge with a bad smell is seen in trichomoniasis. There can be symptoms associated such as pain and itching while urinating. Thick, white cheesy discharges are seen in fungal infection with symptoms like swelling and itching around the vulva. There will be painful sexual contact also. A white, grey or yellow discharge with vicious odour is seen in bacterial vaginosis with symptoms like itching and swelling of the vagina and vulva. Bloody or brown discharge is seen in irregular menses, cervical erosion, or there can be a polyp.

How to make a diagnosis of abnormal discharges?

You will be asked by the doctor of the abnormality of the discharge, that when does the abnormal discharge begin, what is the colour of the discharge, what is the smell if there is any if you have any itching, pain or burning in and around the vagina.

Do you have any sexual partner? Do you douche?

And the doctor may take a sample of the vaginal discharge for testing. So it is mandatory not to take any self-medication because the type of the discharge varies from person to person, and from time to time, and the treatment will depend on the type of infection you are having.

So how is abnormal discharge is treated?

Your treatment will depend on your causative problem. Like if there a is fungal infection, you will be treated with oral anti fungals, vaginal pessaries into the vagina and cream outside the vagina and your vulva. Bacterial vaginosis is treated with anti biotics orally and vaginal creams to be applied inside the vagina. Trichomoniacal infection is treated with oral metranedazole or tinidazole and vaginal pessaries are supplemented with it. If the patient is diabetic, it is very important to control the blood sugar levels, otherwise the patient will not be cured of the symptoms. In menopausal ladies, we give estrogen creams for local application to make the atrophic vagina very healthy.

Now, I ll be giving you some important tips to prevent the vaginal infection, which is a very common problem. So you have to keep your vagina clean by washing regularly with mild, gentle soap and warm water or hygienic washes. You should not use scented soaps and feminine douches. Do not use bubble bath or feminine sprays. It is important while going to washroom, always wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria from getting into your vagina and causing any infection. Wear 100% cotton undergarments and avoid overly tight clothing. It is very important to keep your perineal area or private parts dry.

I think this talk will help you in the prevention of a major problem that is vaginal discharge.